CD Projekt RED’s decision to not deliver console-exclusive content for The Witcher 3 is the best kind of fan service

One of the biggest “first world problems” is when a game you’re really excited for has exclusive content for a console you don’t own. Is this a life-altering circumstance that will forever change your view on the world? Absolutely not, but it’s still mildly frustrating.

Developer CD Projekt RED is having none of this. They’re treating gamers equally, ensuring that everyone gets the same experience regardless of where they’re playing. Again, the conundrum that is platform-exclusive content sounds like the biggest first world problem ever, but consider this:

John Doe is a 20 year old college student. He enjoys unwinding and relaxing from the stress of his exams and midterms with video games. Being a broke 20 year old college student, John Doe can’t afford every console out there. Since John Doe needs a computer for school anyway, his machine of choice is a PC. When John Doe sees his highly anticipated game get exclusive content on the Xbox One or PS4, he gets sad. He can’t afford an Xbox One or PS4; heck, he can barely afford his highly anticipated game anyway, but after getting good grades on his exams, John Doe decides to treat himself.

Is it fair to lock away content to gamers that don’t have access to it? Absolutely not, so it’s nice to see a developer understand that some people simply can’t afford every console. This decision shouldn’t really be much of a surprise, though, given CD Projekt RED’s history as being a consumer friendly developer.

Let’s hope that this begins a trend of the removal of console and retailer exclusive content. I really enjoy the fact that there’s a GameStop down the street from my house and really cool people work there. I don’t enjoy Target getting exclusive missions to games, though.